


Risk

by Siberianskys



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Children of Earth Fix-It, M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-11
Updated: 2015-10-24
Packaged: 2018-01-15 09:12:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1299559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siberianskys/pseuds/Siberianskys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Future Jack goes back in time to see Ianto and makes a last minute decision.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for my time travel Trope Bingo square. 
> 
> I've been wanting to write a fix-it since the mini-series ended and never managed to come up with anything I liked. At this point I'm sure just about everything has been tried, but this is what came to me when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do about the time travel square.

He knew this was a bad idea. Even after all these years he could hear the academy instructors in his head going on and on about the ramifications of crossing your timeline. They had described in vivid detail the outcomes of paradoxes. And then there was The Doctor. He almost laughed when he imagined the Time Lord's short, to the point, lecture. "Don't do it, Jack." The thing was he just couldn't be bothered anymore. Everyone who mattered to him so was long gone, that if he managed to blow-up the universe it would be a blessing. Even he couldn't survive a universal paradox, could he? 

Jack looked around the cells and started to greet a vaguely familiar creature, but he couldn't come up with either its species or its name in his lifetimes of memories. He had picked the safest day he could think of to enter the Hub. His younger self was in London meeting with the leadership of UNIT, Gwen was off at some family gathering and Tosh and Owen had been dead for nearly a year which meant he wouldn't meet himself and Ianto should be alone. 

How could I have forgotten you girl? Jack asked himself as he looked up at the high ceiling and watched as Myfanwy flew in circles above him. He wrapped his arms around himself and rocked back on his heels. He knew he should leave. He tried to tell himself that seeing Ianto while things were still relatively good between them would make things easier when Ianto died in his arms. He knew that wasn't true. Nothing was ever going to make that loss any easier. He never understood how out of all the losses he'd suffered, how one Welsh boy would still make his heart hurt like it happened yesterday. 

Jack grinned at the loud crash behind him and the still familiar, beautiful Welsh vowels curse, "What the bloody fuck?" 

"It's okay, Ianto, it's just me," Jack said slowly raising his arms above his head and turning to face his long ago lover. 

"I just bloody well got off the phone with the captain," Ianto said, his gun aimed at Jack's chest. 

"You just got off the phone with a version of me," Jack said. "Look at me. Do I look like your Jack?" 

"How do I know you aren't a Nostrovite?" Ianto asked.

"If I was a Nostrovite I'd look like your Jack."

"You could be a Nostrovite from the future who fell through the rift," Ianto said. 

"You don't really believe that," Jack said taking a tentative step forward. 

"Jack, my Jack, explained it to me once. You can't cross your own timeline, because space and time get ripped apart."

"Yeah, well today I just can't be buggered with technicalities," Jack said. 

"How dangerous is this?" Ianto asked. 

"It should be okay as long as I don't meet myself," Jack said. 

"Is that true?" Ianto asked. 

"Don't know," Jack said. "I could touch you and the universe could end."

"Why are you here?" Ianto asked. 

"I miss you," Jack said. 

"I'm surprised you even remember me," Ianto said. 

"Don't say that. Please, never say that," Jack said. 

"How old are you, Jack?" Ianto asked. 

"Too old," Jack said unable to stop his tears from flowing. "Nobody should ever get this old." Jack jumped when heard the alarm on the door as it started to open. "I'm sorry, Ianto, I didn't plan this, but I can't do this alone anymore."

"What are you--?"

Jack stepped into Ianto's personal space and wrapped his arms tightly around him. "Maybe someday you'll forgive me," he said activating the Vortex Manipulator on his wrist strap and they disappeared into the future.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was given Jack/Ianto for the prompt "This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you've ever had, of course I'm in." on a livejournal writing meme, so I thought it was the perfect time to add to this story. Grania, I hope you agree since this is a gift for you. Also, to those who have requested a sequel, thank you for your patience.

"Sorry, time travel can be a little disconcerting," Jack said, rubbing Ianto's back as his lover emptied his stomach of what was probably his afternoon coffee.

"A little warning next time," Ianto said, scrubbing his mouth with the back of his hand as he stood up from his hunched position. 

"You're not mad?" Jack asked.

"Please," Ianto said. "This may be one the most ill conceived notions you have ever had, but as usual it worked out." 

"I guess I expected you to put up more of a fuss," Jack said.

"You must have me confused with Gwen. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you, Jack. I l--"

Jack put his hand over Ianto's lips. "No, don't say it."

"I know you hate sentimental claptrap, but--

"That's not it. I just need to be the one to say it first this time," Jack said. "I need you to know--."

"What the bloody hell is that noise?" Ianto asked.

"Get behind me," Jack said, putting himself between Ianto and the materializing TARDIS. "He is not taking you back. I won't let him." 

"If he's here--." 

"I don't care," Jack said, quickly putting new coordinates into his Vortex Manipulator before reaching for Ianto's hand. 

"You need to stop, Jack," The Doctor said, as he stepped out of the TARDIS' door.

"You can't have him," Jack said, flinching as The Doctor took his face between his hands.

"It's okay; he's exactly where he's supposed to be. This isn't about stopping a paradox," The Doctor said.

"Then what is it about?" Jack said. 

"Putting things right," The Doctor said.


End file.
